The G-Free Diet

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I am to the point I would rather ditch the GF diet to just lose the weight. I was 89 lbs and for years could eat as much as I wanted while I healed of anything while only gaining a lb every month or so. I can eat only eggs, meat, non processed dairy and nuts. People with celiac disease face a double whammy if they want to lose weight, Green says. Could my babies be allergic to Gluten? Simply stated, gluten is the primary protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and sometimes oats. It makes so much sense to me now!

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Judy Caplan on behalf of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. There are still calories and carbohydrates in these products. Often GF products can contain lots of sugars. Check the calorie and carb count before eating. The short answer is gluten-free does not equal fat or calorie free. In fact, many gluten-free foods such as breads and cereals have just as many, or more, calories than non-gluten free foods. A gluten-free diet is meant for someone with gluten sensitivity, or gluten intolerance called celiac disease.

And while a gluten-free diet can be very healthy, loaded with potatoes, beans, lentils, corn, oats, and even rice, it does not set someone up for weight loss unless they are cutting back on total calories and fat while eating gluten-free.

Jessica Crandall on behalf of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Some gluten-free items can be higher in fat, sugar and sodium that can lead to weight gain if consuming a large amount of these products. Sometimes the fat is from nuts and seeds which are "good" fats but none the less -- fats. My advice is to consume gluten-free items but be mindful of the quantity of pre-packaged items you are consuming. And don't forget to focus on servings of fruit and veggies per day as these are also gluten-free!

Many times manufacturers add extra fat to the product so that the food is more tender and palatable. You can find a registered dietitian near you at www. Sheth on behalf of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Karen Ansel on behalf of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Gluten-free diets may sound like a magic bullet for weight loss but they can actually backfire. One reason is that prepackaged gluten-free foods often have added fat and sugar added to make up for the lack of flavor and texture that results when foods are made without gluten.

As a result, many gluten free foods can have more calories than their gluten-containing counterparts. Gluten-free pizza, pretzels and cookies are all prime examples.

Another reason is that gluten-free foods are often highly processed and low in fiber. Without fiber to slow down their digestion they don't fill us up so we're likely to eat more of them in order to stay full. Otherwise, your best bet for weight loss is a well-balanced, portion-controlled diet. Rachel Begun on behalf of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. There are many reasons why weight gain is experienced on a gluten-free diet. For those who have celiac disease and are starting a gluten-free diet for the first time, your intestines are healing and you are now absorbing nutrients.

This is a healthy weight gain and, if eating nutritious foods and taking in the right amount of calories, your weight should balance out after several months on a gluten-free diet. Prior to going gluten free, celiac disease patients are not absorbing nutrients and so are often underweight or weigh less for the amount of calories they are taking in.

For those on a gluten-free diet who don't have celiac disease, or who have celiac disease and continue to gain weight after a long time on a strict gluten-free diet, weight gain can be a result of the gluten-free food choices you are making. Gluten-free packaged products are often higher in fat, calories and sugar than their gluten-containing counterparts and devoid of nutrients.

Eating too much of these foods can lead to weight gain. A healthy gluten-free diet should consist mostly of naturally gluten free foods, including: A gluten-free diet is not a calorie-restricted diet, and can still lead to weight gain. The best thing to do for weight loss is to monitor the portion of gluten-free foods that you are eating, and meet with a registered dietitian.

Find one at www. Dee Sandquist on behalf of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Baked goods, breads, crackers or pastas that are gluten-free tend to use more refined flours that are very low in fiber and less filling. This means you may eat more of these foods and consume more calories in order to feel satisfied. Excess calories leads to weight gain. If you do not have celiac disease or gluten intolerance, there is little justification for staying on a gluten-free diet.

It would be better to stick with high fiber, satisfying foods. Ruth Frechman on behalf of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. If you are gaining weight on a gluten-free diet, you are probably eating more calories than you think. Just because you are omitting foods with gluten, such as bread or pasta, you may be consuming big portions of rice or gluten-free carbs. You are eating too many calories or not getting enough exercise.

A gluten-free diet is not low in calories. But it can be low in fiber so you may be eating more of those grains to feel full. And getting more calories in the process. Make an appointment with a registered dietitian to get a plan that meets your specific needs. It is actually more common than you might think to gain weight on a gluten-free diet, especially for those with no medical reason to go on this diet.

Unless you have celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or a wheat allergy, there is not much evidence that you will benefit from this diet. A gluten-free diet involves replacing gluten-containing foods with gluten-free substitutes. Unfortunately, these substitutes are often more calorically-dense and lower in fiber than their gluten-containing counterparts. For example, white rice and tapioca flours are both commonly used, but are both very low or absent in fiber.

I would recommend using gluten-free flours higher in fiber like amaranth, brown rice, millet, quinoa, and teff. The weight gain is due to the fluid retention. It takes two weeks or so to resolve. I am one of those people diagnosed with Celiacs Disease who has gained weight.

I have gained 80 pounds in the 2 years since my diagnosis. Any suggestions to get it off quickly? I am walking every day for at least 30 minutes and trying to do more than that when I have time. While some people report an initial gain as the body works to replace nutrients it has been missing, usually things level off.

Have you met with a dietitian? They can review your diet to see how to tweak things to make sure you get the nutrients you need while maintaining the appropriate caloric intake. Other issues that can affect weight gain are probiotics, acidosis, cadida albicans overgrowth and medications.

I used to be able to just starve for a week and it would leave, NOT anymore.. John, I am so happy I read your blog. I am not gluten intolerant however I need a lifestyle change. My daughter may have Celiac and needs further testing. My sister has Celiac disease and ever since she has gone gluten free her life has changed for the better. My daughter and I are going gluten free and after reading your story and information I feel more inspired to do so! John, just want to thankyou for the great blog.

I had a beautiful baby girl in August and actually gained weight after the pregnancy!! I am not lazy just tired all the time! I am so glad to hear that the weight gain is normal and hopefully can be quickly reversed after consultations with a dietician.

Thanks for sharing both your knowledge and your story, it inspired me deeply and made me realize that there is a light at the end of what has been a very long, very dark tunnel. I am a gym junkie and have eaten a well-balanced diet for ages. The latest, oddest symptom is my muscle atrophy. I have, over the last couple of years, lost any muscle definition not that I ever had much. The ridiculousness is, I weight train regularly and take high-intensity dance classes 4 times a week.

Everyone else in my dance classes has lost every last bit of excess fat and gained gorgeous, defined muscles. In contrast, I gained a pant size and am flabbier than ever. I was diagnosed with Celiac a few days ago and the doctor explained that my arms, legs and abdomen were swollen with water retention, not fat. I am hoping to not only gain health with my new gluten-free life, but I also hope to gain muscle and the ideal body I spend so much time working for.

In the gym days a week until I looked like a sausage. You are going to love your results! Make sure you eat a nutrient-dense diet. Here is a gluten free diet guide. Give yourself a couple months. Replace with goat or sheep cheeses and use honey to sweeten instead of sugar. Thanks John for information ,like all other posts i have had the same weight problems ive always thought that gluton foods where making me hold water weight around my middle arms and legs ,just looked bloated all the time,ive just had another celiac blood test ,i have so many of the symtoms and yet when tested two years ago the test was negative,ive told my husband this time regardles of blood result im getting all gluten foods out of my diet ,am just 60 and i go to the gym 3 times a week ,i was being told it was just my age ,regards sue.

I am so frustrated. I have gained 35 lbs in the last two years and cannot lose an ounce. I am bloated all of the time and my body resists any time I start to lose a pound or two. I take a multi, vitamin D, B and folic acid because I was dangerously low in all of those.

Please let me know what I can do!! Bloated before Celiac Diagnosis. Since diagnosis nearly 5 years ago, I gained over 10 pounds. Mostly around the middle.

I found myself experiencing shortness of breath, fatigue and of course constantly trying to find something comfortable to wear. I do exercise as well. Lots of fruits and vegetables have made a huge difference.

I am so glad I found this website! I have had every blood test under the sun, pelvic ultrasound, and abdominal CT. I gained about 20 pounds in 3 months with no change in diet or exercise, and I am 54 and postmenapausal. Anyway, I finally went to a nutritionist and told her my story. She suggested that I get a Celiac panel done.

I am keeping a food diary and am eating approx. Last week, I played soccer three nights an hour and a half each and do weight training 3 times a week. Am I doing something wrong or will it just take time to get rid of this weight? Any hints are welcome! My first month off gluten I gained 10 pounds — because I was gorging myself on GF goodies, LOL, reassuring myself that there were such things. I lost 15 pounds the second month and have continued to lose, and at four months off gluten, am wearing the sizes I wore 10 years ago.

I tested off the chart. And now it turns out that my weight was caused by celiac disease. I used to eat non-stop some days. I am completely frustrated with the gluten free diet. I eat healthier than ever before, exercise regularly and am heavier than ever.

I am to the point I would rather ditch the GF diet to just lose the weight. Please send any helpful advice that you might have! Hey Stephanie — it could be due to a variety of factors: I complained to my doctors since Nov that something was wrong they all said, eat less, exercise more. I gained 10lbs in one weekend of vacation. I had a lot of fatigue. I was so tired that I would sleep 12 hours at night and still need an afternoon nap. My husband said I was nuts. Finally and endocrinologist looked at the labs and figured out what was wrong in one appointment.

I thought it was hypothryoidism, and was shocked when he told me CD. I started immediately on the lifestyle and have notice a small improvement. I am glad that someone else was overweight to start with, it gives me hope. Everything I have read up until this point says diagnosed people are underweight and lacking essential nutrients.

I am lacking nutrients just not the weight. Its interesting to see what other people are experiencing. I am about to start cutting gluten out of my diet due to a possible diagnosis of CD. It seems to me, eating gluten free is not a ticket to eating all the gluten free products out there which are if not more full of calories and sugar. I also noticed that a lot of gluten free products have soy in them which can be just as bad for some people and may be the reason there is difficulty with weight loss.

Soy wrecks my stomach. I am no expert, but guessing clean eating is the way to go and eat a light portion of the allowed grains. Hi John, Thanks for this info. I also work out at the gym times a week, eat roughly cals, eat purely gluten free for the past year, recently cut out sugar and gained weight. I have been measuring my food etc, the more I worry the heavier I get. I can not wait to try this. Be sure you are eating enough calories — what I mean is that you are getting all the nutrients your body needs — vitamins, minerals, etc.

If your body is deficient, even functionally deficient, you are more likely to gain weight. In that time, I've rapidly lost weight almost 15 lbs and she has been gaining weight. We work out 3 days a week and eat fairly healthy, but she can't seem to stop gaining weight since going gluten free.

Has anyone else had this issue? Does anyone have any advice or recommendations? I think it's super common to gain weight once the gut gets healed. Unmanaged celiac can cause malnutrition and cause severe weight loss! As my gut has healed, I've needed to readjust my calories and not hungry all the time because my body can actually get what it needs!

Thats what I've heard! Its just seems like we went from eating terribly junk food, tons of candy, fried food every meal to eating a lot of lean meats and vegetables and fruits, yet now is when she gains the weight. Life is cruel lol. Previously she was only absorbing a small portion of the food she ate, and now she's getting more out of every bite.

She's probably used to eating 1. Eventually, most of us stop eating as much naturally as our bodies recalibrate the hunger response systems, but that can take a while. If it's bothering her, I would recommend getting a bunch of calorie neutral foods to use for snacks and trying to cut down on portions at meal times. I'm not sure why you think lean meats would be less fattening than fatty meats. Eating fat would increase satiety in the end and reduce appetite.

Also, if you're eating gluten-free replacement foods, you've basically replaced gluten, a protein, with starch, which rapidly breaks down to sugar. According to most research, exercise won't lead to weight loss since it increases appetite. You can Google this if you want, but the best starting point is a New York Times article from this years ago that details quite a lot of research on the matter. The substitute flours tend to be more calorie dense than wheat flour.

Just watch out on the gluten free products, a lot of them contact more fat and sugar than glutenous counter parts. Or maybe she's preggo: Lol thanks for trying to scare me but luckily that's not the case! And we have noticed the the GF substitutes are usually higher in calories, but we honestly don't eat too many substitutes. Mainly just stick to naturally gluten free food. Butter and sugar are naturally gluten free: Maybe she is just eating more since she doesn't feel as bad now that the gluten is gone.

We definitely need to cut back on the sugar. I'd better buy the grocery store's entire stock in case the gluten free fad ends and then go home and eat gluten free oreos for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! You can buy a giant bag and throw them in a candy jar, which is always on the main path you walk in the house so each time you pass you grab a handful. Then you just grab the jar and plop on the couch and shove them in your mouth until you hate yourself.

It's almost empty now and we have vowed to not refill it, but damn it's dangerous. You WILL refill it. They're tiny and harmless. What's the worst that could happen? When I was diagnosed celiac I was really malnourished. I had daily blood noses and everyone had mean nicknames for me like bones or skeletor. I had been sick for my whole life. The year I started the diet and I started high school I gained weight. I think I ended up gaining 5 or 6 kgs in a few months. It's quite natural for someone new to the diet to gain weight as your body is finally getting the nutrients it hasn't.

I don't bother with carbs, foods high in sugar or fat. I basically eat veggies, yogurt, eggs, fish, fruit, milk, greens, keifer, quinoa, Ive added protein with vitamins to my diet. Basically shop the outside aisles of the supermarket. Make smoothies with protein for breakfast you can sneak veggies in with the fruit, have a small snack, then for lunch have your largest meal eat you meat at this meal, have a snack, then dinner have a smaller meal.

Try not to eat after 7pm. Eat portion sizes and use a calorie counting app. You can get ALOT of food for calories if you eat very healthy meals.

Try planning out your meals on sunday for the entire week, portion them into containers so its easy, even your snacks. Also drink 8 8oz glasses of water a day skip sugary drinks and sodas. This is good advice in my opinion.